The 4-H USDA Robotics Digital Badges initiative is a collaborative badging effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 4-H National Headquarters/USDA, and Auburn University. Over the course of badge system development, Auburn University focused on the project’s technical side, while University of Nebraska-Lincoln played a role in developing assessments and curriculum. 4-H described, “The Nebraska faculty has developed an outstanding suite of robotics learning experiences supported through almost $5 million in grants from the National Science Foundation (#ESI-0624591 and DRL-0833403), the NASA Summer of Innovation, and 4-H. These learning experiences will serve as the core content for the 4-H Robotics digital badging system for youth ages 9 to 18.

Badges Work for Vets is a veteran-run initiative that aims to translate military training and experience to civilian skills accessible to potential employers. Two seasoned veterans and a trained veteran psychologist worked together to form a badging system that both highlights veterans’ skills and positions them in a workforce network, increasing potential employment.

The Ohio State University, in collaboration with Digital Watershed, proposed the development of the EarthWorks badging system. Their program is a digital badge system intended to engage K-12 students with the relevance of Native American history and culture through interdisciplinary investigation of earth mounds built by Native American cultures. The project intended these investigations to produce opportunities for discovery and inquiry for current and future participants of the program.

Preface The information contained in this project appendix was gathered from the original project proposal that was funded in 2012 and interviews with project leaders through the end of 2014. This appendix and the overall design principles database from the…

Microsoft developed a badge system for the Partners in Learning Network (PiLN) of educators and school leaders to promote technological competencies and relevant skills in today’s digital age. A worldwide initiative, the Microsoft Partners in Learning organization aims to equip educators with the capacity to teach information & communications technology (ICT) and 21st century skills. They argued, “The abundance of knowledge, resources, and accessibility to information available today requires a different approach from the generic one-size fits all engagement models of the past” (DML Stage 1 Proposal). Given rapid technological advancement, the project built a system of recognition and assessment to assist educators in their professional development. The project envisioned the construction of a badge system to recognize educators for their abilities and accomplishments.

MOUSE offers opportunities for youth to develop skills and dispositions that can translate into the workplace and apply across professional settings. The program trains youth to join teams of help desk experts who provide technology support during the school day. This offers an environment that mirrors the workplace and enables students to gain practical experience. In school, youth receive the opportunity to lead in the field of technology, cultivating skills, and strengthening identities as valued contributors in technology-driven environments, in preparation for the careers and workplace that they would eventually enter. MOUSE explains that their “goal has always been to capture the milestones that emerge along the way as points of reflection (and as wayfinding devices) that empower the user to pursue pathways forward and demonstrate their expertise in learning and professional contexts where not enough of their experiences are being counted” (HASTAC MOUSE Q&A). By introducing youth to communities of practice, MOUSE enables them to gain exposure and develop their skills and teamwork in an age-appropriate professional work setting. The program extends students’ experience after school by connecting them with a peer community with shared interestsy support during the school day. This offers an environment that mirrors the workplace and enables students to gain practical experience.

The digital badge initiative “My Girl Scout Sash is an App” was developed as part of a collaboration between Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI), MentorMob, and the Motorola Mobility Foundation. The initiative enables participants to gain skills in mobile app development. The project introduced a new digital sash from which girl scouts can add badges. Through its badging program, Girl Scouts has provided a long-standing tradition of career development and leadership. Girl Scouts Chief Development Officer, Bryn Reese, described, “

Preface The information contained in this project appendix was gathered from the original project proposal that was funded in 2012 and interviews with project leaders through the end of 2014. This appendix and the overall design principles database from the…

A Hewlett Foundation and Gates Foundation Project Mastery grantee, the non-profit organization Asia Society collaborated with ShowEvidence to develop Pathways to Global Competence. This is a proficiency-based badging system for high school students. The project aimed to engage learners in “powerful, relevant, and self-directed [ways] as they master skills and knowledge enabling them to develop their identity as a global youth leader” (HASTAC). The badging effort aimed to expand students’ cross-cultural knowledge and enhance their understanding of global issues.

Student Reporting Labs is a educational program offered by PBS News Hour in which participating high school teachers offer their students the opportunity to write and record a story about their community with the chance of getting it broadcast on local or national television.

Regardless of where you start, it’s more than likely you’ll end up somewhere other than your intended destination. That’s okay. Systems are living things, and your badge system needs to be flexible. You must embrace a bit of chaos in its design.
-Carla Casilli, Director of Design + Practice at the Badge Alliance